Petersen Recognized for $1 Million Scholarship Endowment
East High School foyer named after alumnus
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| John Petersen stressed the value of hard work and dedication to current and former East and Strong Vincent High School students. Graduates of the two schools that attend Penn State Behrend will benefit from the John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Trustee Matching Scholarship. |
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and the School District of the City of Erie are pleased to announce that Erie residents John and Gertrude Petersen have donated $1 million to Penn State Behrend to endow a Trustee Matching Scholarship. This scholarship will support graduates of East and Strong Vincent High Schools in their pursuit of higher education at Penn State Behrend.
This gift was previously reported in the Erie Times-News with the donor being anonymous.
A college education helped John Petersen, the retired president and CEO of the Erie Insurance Group, move from the classrooms of East High School to the boardroom of Erie Insurance Group. Now Petersen hopes to offer his fellow East High graduates a similar career boost with the John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Trustee Matching Scholarship at Penn State Behrend. The funding benefits students from East High School, John’s alma mater, and Strong Vincent High School, his wife Gertrude’s alma mater.
“One of the primary reasons for this gift is to support the leadership efforts of Dr. Jim Barker and the School District of the City of Erie,” John Petersen said.
“It’s great for the students to see someone who came from their neighborhood reach international status through intelligence, hard work and creative vision, because it allows them to imagine themselves where they want to be, not where they are,” Dr. James Barker, School District of the City of Erie superintendent, said of the Petersens’ decision to create the scholarship.
The John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Trustee Matching Scholarship is part of a five-year effort by Penn State to secure private support University-wide for new undergraduate scholarships. Launched in 2002, this scholarship program has a unique matching component—the University matches the income from the gift annually, doubling the financial impact of the scholarship. More than twenty students will receive scholarship funding each year.
“John and Gertrude Petersen want to positively impact the futures of East and Strong Vincent students by helping them achieve through learning,” Dr. Jack Burke, Penn State Behrend chancellor, said. “The Petersens have entrusted Penn State Behrend to educate the young men and women of East High School for almost 15 years. We are honored to continue this tradition and, now, include a second high school.”
The Trustee Matching Scholarship is the second Penn State Behrend scholarship fund created by the Petersens. Since 1992, more than $100,000 has been awarded to East High School graduates through the Petersen Scholarship, according to Jane Brady, assistant director of admissions and financial aid at Penn State Behrend.
East and Strong Vincent students are automatically considered for the Petersen scholarships when they enroll at Penn State Behrend. The scholarships are renewable for four years, provided eligibility requirements are maintained.
East High School foyer named after Petersen
In response to Petersen’s longstanding dedication to East High School and its students, the Erie School Board and Dr. Barker plan to announce the renaming of the school’s two-story foyer as the John M. Petersen Foyer. This central lobby features the work of local artists.
Designed and constructed by Erie artist Ed Grout, the “Hands of Glass” greet those who enter the lobby. Twenty-six of the sand-cast blocks in the finished piece bear the hand imprints of East students. Etched on the blocks are the comments and quotes of students, faculty, alumni and community members concerning education, life and the future.
Steven and Susan Kemenyffy from McKean created the school’s signature raku and stoneware ceramic mural, which spans 150 linear feet and three walls of the foyer’s second story balcony. Captured within the mural’s 500 square feet are 42 life-sized portraits that represent the many different people who are integral to the success of a school.
In honor of his wife and their families, East alumnus Leo Laskowski chose Erie sculptor Evan Everhart to design a metal warrior—the school’s mascot. Everhart’s warrior sculpture features metal objects recovered from the old East High building, including metal handrails found in the headdress. Laskowski’s wife, Helen Pawloski, and his brother, Joseph, are East High School alumni.
John Petersen graduated from East High School in 1946 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Before joining Erie Insurance, he worked for General Electric in Fairfield, Conn. Petersen was hired by Erie Insurance founder H.O. Hirt in 1962 as an accountant and became Erie Insurance’s first investment officer. He retired as president and CEO of the company in December 1995.
East High School, 1001 Atkins St., and Strong Vincent High School, 1330 West 8 St., are part of the School District of the City of Erie. For the 2006-07 academic year, East enrolls 951 students, while Strong Vincent’s enrollment is 913 students. Both schools house Honor Academy tracts for academically qualified students. Currently, 56 graduates of East and 20 Strong Vincent alumni are enrolled at Penn State Behrend during the fall 2006 semester.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, offers 31 baccalaureate, six associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs with 21 minors to 4,000 students. Focused on providing a student-centered environment, Penn State Behrend is the link that connects its students to a major research and land-grant institution on a campus enriched by more than 90 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams, 19 intramural sports and modern facilities. For more information, visit www.pserie.psu.edu.